Kushimoto, Wakayama
Encyclopedia
Demographics
The populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Kushimoto is 20,618, consisting of 9,561 men and 11,057 women. There are a total of 9,397 families.
Junior high schools
- Kushimoto Junior High School
- Kushimoto-Nishi Junior High School
- Nishi-Mukai Junior High School
- Oshima Junior High School
- Shiono-Misaki Junior High School
- Tahara Junior High School
Elementary schools
- Arita Elementary School
- Hashigui Elementary School
- Kinpu Elementary School
- Kushimoto Elementary School
- Koza Elementary School
- Izumo Elementary School
- Nishi-Mukai Elementary School
- Oshima Elementary School
- Shiono-Misaki Elementary School
- Tahara Elementary School
- Tanami Elementary School
- Yoshun Elementary School
- Wabuka Elementary School
Kindergartens
- Izumo Kindergarten
- Kushimoto Kindergarten
- Nishi-Mukai Kindergarten
- Oshima Kindergarten
- Shiono-Misaki Kindergarten
Sites of interest
- Hashigui Beach
- Hashigui-Iwa Coastal Scenic Area
- Kashino Lighthouse
- Koza Coastal Scenic Area
- Koza River
- Kuroshima and TaijimaKuroshima and Taijimaare a set of islands about one kilometer off the coast of Honshū in Japan by the mouth of the Koza River, a five minute ride by ferry from Koza Port. The islands are considered part of Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture...
- Kushimoto Marine Park
- Okyoro Art Museum
- Shiono-Misaki Lighthouse
- Shiono-Misaki Southernmost Point Park
- Shiono-Misaki Youth Hostel
- Turkish Memorial and Museum
- Umikongo Coastal Scenic Area
- United States Friendship Museum
Kushimoto is famous for its many coastal rock formations, including Hashigui-Iwa and Umikongo. The cape of Shiono-Misaki, located in the southern tip of the town, has a park and tower marking the southernmost point of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
.
The island of Oshima, connected to the main town via the Kushimoto Big Bridge, is home to two museums of foreign origin.
- The Turkish Memorial and Museum, located on the southeastern end of the island, commemorates the crash of the Turkish ship Ertugrul on Oshima's shores. As of 2005, there was discussion of salvaging the wreckage with a Turkish team to exhibit it in the local museum.
- The United States Friendship Museum commemorates the visit of the USS Lady Washington, which took place years before Commodore Matthew Perry's infamous landing in Japan. The museum also hosts a collection of Native American artifacts and items of nostalgia from its sister city, HemetHemet, CaliforniaHemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 78,657 at the 2010 census....
, in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Water sports
The surrounding wetlands and coastal areas in Kushimoto are designated areas of conservation through the Ramsar ConventionRamsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
of 1971. They have since become popular spots for scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, with numerous diving establishments along National Highway 42.
A merger in 2004 incorporated the former town of Koza
Koza
A Koza is a Polish bagpipe.The Polish pipes are more related in appearance to some old German pipes. It uses a large goatskin bag and a single reed chanter, cylindrical bore and deep pitch, with a large horn and brass bell at the end. The bass drone typically has the same bell. It is usually...
into Kushimoto. Located in the east of Kushimoto, Koza
Koza
A Koza is a Polish bagpipe.The Polish pipes are more related in appearance to some old German pipes. It uses a large goatskin bag and a single reed chanter, cylindrical bore and deep pitch, with a large horn and brass bell at the end. The bass drone typically has the same bell. It is usually...
is home to the Kozagawa River. The river, regulated by the Shichikawa Dam, is one of three rivers in southern Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
known for kayaking.
Though waves are relatively tame compared with worldwide standards, Kushimoto is a popular surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
spot for locals and people from the bigger cities in the Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
area.
Annual events and festivals
In late January or early February is the Shiono-Misaki Fire Festival. During this event, the large grassy field that designates Honshū's southernmost tip is ritually burned. Spectators may walk through the fire as it progresses through the field.In February is the Oshima Boat Race. Festivals grounds are set up at Oshima Port, and two boats ritually race to and from the port on the mainland Kushimoto.
In August, the Summer Fireworks Festival takes place at Kushimoto Port.
In October is the Sunset Marathon. The marathon's route winds through Oshima and Shiono-Misaki.
Mass public transportation
Rail service is provided by the West Japan Railway CompanyWest Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
, or JR West, on the Kinokuni Line. There are direct services to other big cities in the Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
area, with many limited express trains bound for Shin-Osaka Station
Shin-Osaka Station
is a train station in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is the western terminus of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and the eastern terminus of the Sanyō Shinkansen. The lines are physically joined, and many trains offer through service....
and Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station
is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
. There are eight train stations in town (from west to east): Wabuka, Tako, Tanami, Kii-Arita, Kushimoto, Kii-Hime, Koza, and Kii-Tahara.
Local bus service is provided by the Kumano Bus Company. The nearest long distance bus services are located in Tanabe
Tanabe, Wakayama
is the second biggest city in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008 , the city has an estimated population of 80,398 and a density of 78.3 persons per km². The total area is 1026.77 km². The city was founded on May 20, 1942.Tanabe is on the coast and surrounded by mountains...
(for Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
) and Nachi-Katsuura (for Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
).
Private motoring
National Highways 42 and 371 run through Kushimoto. The Hanwa Expressway, still under construction, is set to pass to the north of the town.Air and sea
The nearest international airport is Kansai Airport. Nanki-Shirahama AirportNanki-Shirahama Airport
is a third class airport in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan. It serves the southern part of the Kii Peninsula with three daily Japan Airlines round-trips to Tokyo International Airport.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:* in Japanese...
, located in nearby Shirahama, is a smaller airport offering daily flights to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
The nearest domestic ferry services are in Nachi-Katsuura.
Sister cities
Kushimoto has three sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
: Yakakent
Yakakent
Yakakent is a central town of Yakakent district of Samsun Province of Turkey. Older name was Gümenos.-History:Yakakent was founded in the second century BC. Its name was Cominus under byzantian rule. The city grew with the advent if migrants from Caucasia during the Russian - Ottoman war and from...
(Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
(Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) Hemet, California
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 78,657 at the 2010 census....
(United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)